Can Buford Repeat as Georgia and National Champion? Five Reasons Why the Wolves Can — and Five Why They Might Not

The defending Georgia Class 6A and High School On SI national champions return plenty of talent, but replacing a championship core won't be easy.

The Buford defense gang tackles Milton running back TJ Lester. | David McGregor

Sports sequels are rarely as good as the original. Everybody wants to be The Godfather Part II. However, a not-so-surprising number end up going straight to streaming — or becoming whichever Fast & Furious we're on now.

Respect to 2 Fast 2 Furious, though. Instant classic.

Buford went 15-0 last season, won its 15th Georgia state championship and finished No. 1 in the final High School On SI and other national rankings. The Wolves beat Carrollton 28-21 for the Class 6A title, punctuated by an 82-yard touchdown run in the final three minutes of the game.

Now comes the hard part: doing it again without the majority of its championship core.

Entering 2026, High School On SI's preseason national rankings place Buford No. 3 in the country and No. 1 in Georgia.

Five Reasons Buford Can Repeat

1. Buford Does Not Rebuild. It Recasts.

At most programs, graduating a championship class buys you a year. Buford says, “Nobody ain’t got time for that.”

The Wolves have won 15 state titles, including 14 since 2001, and Bryant Appling is 90-8 as head coach. Buford treats turnover the way Law & Order treats cast changes: somebody new walks in, but you already know how the episode ends.

2. The New Cast Still Has Stars

Nobody's organizing a telethon.

James Madison commit DJ Hunter takes over at quarterback. Jameer Cantrell returns at running back, Ian Chafin and Braylon Williams should take on larger receiving roles, and 6-foot-5 junior Seven Rashad looks like somebody left the EA Sports create-a-player settings unlocked.

Brady Wagner and Joshua Echols combined for 199 tackles, and Luke Nabors headlines another loaded defense.

3. The Defense Provides a Championship Floor

The easiest way to survive a new quarterback is to keep the other team off the scoreboard.

Groundbreaking, I know.

Buford allowed 10.5 points per game last season and held 11 opponents to 14 or fewer. Enough of that unit returns to provide a high floor while the offense develops. The offense may need time to gel, and the defense can buy it.

4. The Schedule Exposes Problems Early

Buford opens against Gainesville, travels to Mallard Creek, hosts Miami Central and then visits Grayson.

That's no warmup, and there isn't a gimme on the schedule.

The risk is obvious, but so is the payoff. Buford will know fast whether Hunter, the line and the new playmakers are ready while there's still time to do something about it, instead of a late-season surprise.

5. Buford Has Receipts

Buford trailed Carrollton 7-0 at halftime of the title game and didn't flinch. The Wolves scored 28 second-half points and answered a late tying touchdown to win the game.

"Buford always reloads" sounds great in August around the water-cooler; who am I kidding? We all work from home these days, but quotes don't make tackles in December. The Wolves know what the final minutes of a game can ask of you. 

FIVE REASONS BUFORD MAY NOT REPEAT

1. This Is Not Ordinary Turnover

Let's start with those who have left.

Buford lost its starting quarterback, top three rushers, leading receiver, top three scorers, top two tacklers and sack leader. Green, Raiola, Dylan McCoy, Brian Stokes and several other major contributors are gone. Cameron Hurst transferred.

That's not just an oil change. That's a whole system upgrade.

2. Hunter Must Become the Answer Immediately

Hunter has the tools. What he doesn't have is time.

Raiola started two seasons and left with 4,221 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. Hunter inherits that offense minus its leading rushers and its top receiver, too.

Gainesville, Miami Central and Grayson are not going to sit quietly through his orientation. Hunter doesn't have to ace the whole test by Labor Day, but he does have to look like he knows the answers.

3. Georgia Offers No Safe Route Back

Buford can be one of America's five best teams and still not win its own classification.

That's Georgia football.

Grayson, Carrollton, North Gwinnett, Douglas County, Lowndes and Valdosta all present real problems. Creekside and Thomas County Central could crash the national conversation with undefeated runs of their own.

Winning the state alone presents its own series of challenges.

4. One Injury Changes Everything

Injuries derail championship seasons every year.

Buford has depth, but quarterback and line carry extra weight. Lose Hunter and the offense goes to another untested quarterback. Lose a key lineman, and you disrupt the running game and Hunter's development at once. A 15-game season leaves a lot of room for bad luck.

5. Buford Can Win Georgia and Still Lose Nationally

The national title is mythical, which honestly is just a polite way of saying there's no playoff (yet) and nobody will ever fully agree on who’s No. 1.

It's a committee without being a real committee.

Buford begins behind IMG Academy and St. Frances Academy, with several other national powers within reach. One respectable loss could settle the national argument even if Buford runs the table in Georgia.

The Final Word

Buford can repeat because the standard is real, the defense is experienced, and the roster still holds elite talent. But this isn't last season's team and new facilities don’t win championships.

Hunter has to settle in fast, new starters have to become proven ones, and the Wolves have to survive one of the country's meanest schedules.

To finish No. 1 again, they have to be good enough that nobody else can build a better argument.

Sequels are hard.

At Buford, apparently, so is finding anything easy.